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Sightlines Winter 2016

As 2016 draws to a close we look back on our year in NCBI and reflect on the people we have worked with and the difference that our services make in the lives of people who are blind or vision impaired.

8,000 people

Each year we work with 8,000 people. Many of these come to us for the first time, as they deal with a recently acquired eye condition that has seriously affected their sight, or perhaps a significant deterioration in an existing eye condition, which is causing problems in their daily lives.

To enable people to reach their goals

Our aim is to enable people to lead independent lives so they can fully participate in society. This means something different to everyone we work with so that first interaction is a vital means of getting to the root of their problems and putting a plan in place to enable people to reach their goals.

The nature of sight loss is that people come back to NCBI as their circumstances change – a new job, loss of a job, moving house, going to college or deteriorating vision. We are here for all of these life changes.

The approaching New Year is also a chance for us to reflect on what enables us to provide these services and how you have helped by supporting our fundraising events throughout the year.

This year we ran our inaugural Dine in the Dark Week in November. More than 100 restaurants registered to host a Dine in the Dark night, where customers were blindfolded for the duration of their meal, with a donation given to NCBI. It sparked many conversations about what it means to live with sight loss and the challenges people face, and overcome, on a daily basis. We hope to build on this event even further in 2017.

NCBI would like to wish all our readers a very Happy Christmas and thank you all for your ongoing support throughout the year.